In Conversation

A composer who has been capturing our imaginations for over 40 years, Alan Menken is best known for his stage and screen compositions for a slew of Walt Disney films and subsequent stage musicals. He was one of the creative powerhouses behind what has become known as the Disney Renaissance, composing for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin amongst many other titles. And that was all in addition to his non-Disney shows, which include the classic Little Shop of Horrors and the stage version Sister Act. He’s received an extraordinary number of awards – 8 Academy Awards, a Tony, 11 Grammies, 7 Golden Globes and a Daytime Emmy. He’s collaborated with some of the most well-known lyricists in musicals – including Howard Ashman, Stephen Schwartz, Tim Rice, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. 
In this conversation, Alan traces his journey from a musically curious child more interested in improvising than practising, to one of the most decorated composers in entertainment history. He offers candid insights into his collaborations with lyricists such as Howard Ashman, the creative alchemy behind iconic works like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, and the constant process of rewriting, refining, and often discarding songs in pursuit of the finished product. Along the way, he speaks with honesty and humour about resilience, creative instinct, and the importance of not becoming too precious about your own work.
A Whole New World of Alan Menken, comes to Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Wednesday May 6, and the Sydney Event Centre on Friday May 8.

A fiercely original voice in Australian theatre, Sheridan Harbridge is an artist who moves fluidly between acting, writing and directing, and who thrives on the adrenalin of making new work. In this wide-ranging conversation, she speaks about her latest projects, including co-writing the book for the new Australian musical My Brilliant Career, based on the Miles Franklin novel, returning to the stage in Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie, and bringing the electrifying life of Chrissy Amphlett to audiences in Amplified. At the centre is her deep commitment to telling stories that feel urgent, female-driven, and theatrically daring and that connect with audiences.
Sheridan also reflects on the path that led her here, from a childhood in country Victoria, through her time at NIDA, to the lessons learned from a career built largely on original material. She speaks openly about the tolls and challenges that sit behind a good performance, and the responsibility of carrying stories that resonate far beyond the stage. Throughout, Sheridan is full of candour and wit, revealing a theatre maker driven to make work that leaves a lasting mark.
My Brilliant Career shows at the Rosalyn Packer Theatre until May 3, then heads to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre until May 17. Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett is on at the Seymour Centre on April 15-25. Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie plays at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from May 20, coming to Sydney’s Rosalyn Packer Theatre from June 3.

A conductor who has been making a name for himself in both Australia and Europe, Sam Weller has conducted top tier orchestras including the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the 18th Century and the Dutch Radio Philharmonic, as well as our own Adelaide, Tasmanian, West Australian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. 
In a wide-ranging conversation that moves from bold contemporary programming to the realities of building an international career, Sam works between Sydney and Amsterdam, and continues to develop Ensemble Apex, the group he founded as a student. Their upcoming program Behind Me is the Dark reflects his fascination with contrast, texture, and the meeting point of sound and visual design – an approach that speaks to his broader aim of making concerts feel immediate, immersive, and alive for audiences today. 
Sam also reflects on his musical beginnings, from playing saxophone at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts to an early, eye-opening experience conducting his school orchestra at the Sydney Opera House as a teenager. He speaks candidly about the steep learning curve of conducting, the influence of mentors and collaborators, and the ever-expanding possibilities of orchestral sound. Thoughtful and honest, Sam offers insight into both the craft of conducting and the mindset required to navigate a fast-moving, global musical life.
Sam Weller conducts Ensemble Apex for Behind Me is the Dark at ACO on the Pier on 1-2 April.

Musical theatre performer Jarrod Draper steps into the role of Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera for the spectacular Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. A proud Wiradjuri man and the first Indigenous graduate of WAAPA’s musical theatre program, Jarrod reflects on the journey that led him to this moment – from growing up in Orange in a sports-loving family to discovering musical theatre through a community production of The Boy from Oz. Along the way he shares his musical influences – from Disney to Stephen Sondheim and Tracy Chapman and beyond – that has helped shape his voice and storytelling as a performer. 
Jarrod also explores the deeper personal experiences behind his career: the bullying that prompted his move to continue his schooling in Sydney, his formative years at WAAPA, the challenges and opportunities he has encountered as an Indigenous performer navigating the musical theatre industry, and his desire to act to improve outcomes for emerging First Nations artists. Through stories of touring life, pivotal productions like Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and the artists who inspired him, Jarrod reflects on resilience, identity, and the importance of staying grounded in family. It’s a thoughtful and inspiring look at a performer whose career continues to gather momentum on the biggest stages of Australia and beyond.
Jarrod Draper plays Raoul, Vicomte de Changny, in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, the 2026 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour thanks to Opera Australia, from March 27 through to May 3.

An Australian soprano admired by international critics for her “glossy, commanding sound” and “magnificent dramatic power”, Lauren Fagan is one of the most impressive and versatile sopranos on today’s stages. She’s performed roles with the Canadian Opera Company, Scottish Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, Opernhaus Zürich, and Opéra de Paris, and many others, for roles ranging the full spectrum from Gutrune in Götterdämmerung to Violetta in La Traviata, and she’s equally at home on the concert stage too. 
In this conversation, Lauren also looks back on an unconventional path into opera, growing up in a sporty Sydney family with little classical music in the house before discovering singing through school musicals and competitions. After studying business and working in IT sales, she took a leap of faith and moved to London to pursue singing seriously – a decision that led her to train at the Guildhall School of Music, the prestigious Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and an international career across Europe and beyond. Now based in Vienna, she reflects on the realities of life as an opera singer, the importance of mentors and language skills, and the balance between artistic ambition, personal life, and the demanding global nature of the profession.
Lauren Fagan performs the role of Tatiana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Opera Australia until 28 March.